Simon has experience in a wide range of commercial and civil cases including arbitrations. In 2025 he was instructed in a multimillion-pound commercial case in the High Court in London involving allegations of breach of contract/unlawful means conspiracy/negligence/misrepresentation and breaches of the Companies Act 2006.

In November 2025 Simon was Called to the Bar in Mauritius and is instructed in a high profile case in the Supreme Court there concerning a dispute over the governance and management of internet IP addresses in the context of a Receivership and prejudiced shareholders.

He was part of a legal team in a multi-jurisdictional commercial dispute regarding the ownership of a Kyrgyzstan mobile phone company connected to the Seychelles.

He has also been involved in an arbitration in Dubai regarding a high value construction dispute. In 2025 Simon was granted rights of audience before the Dubai International Financial Court (DIFC). Simon’s expertise is particularly useful where fraud, money laundering, corruption, misrepresentation, unlawful means conspiracy and breach of contract are alleged in civil proceedings.

In addition, he has acted in a number of property disputes concerning noise nuisance from building works and partnership disputes

In recent years, Simon has been involved in complex international bribery and corruption cases connected to India, Africa, Europe, the USA and the Middle East. He successfully took an important case to the Court of Appeal in which it was established that it was a criminal offence of bribery in the UK to corrupt the agent of a foreign principal prior to the UKBA (AIL [2016] EWCA Crim 2). In 2019 he again succeeded in the Court Appeal in the Alstom case in which the Court dealt with the issue of corporate attribution. Between 2019 and 2021 he was instructed in a corruption and money laundering case before the Brunei High Court and the Brunei Court of Appeal. He is currently instructed in a major bribery case in Malawi and the UK.

Re S [2025]

Simon is instructed to appear in a major bribery and corruption case in the UK and Malawi.

Re S (2022)

Simon is instructed to advise in a major bribery and corruption investigation in Malawi and the UK.

PP v RR and NB [2021]

(2019) Brunei Supreme Court

Simon was instructed in a corruption case involving two High Court Judges before the Brunei High Court and the Court of Appeal.

R v Alstom Network UK Ltd (2019) EWCA Crim 1318

Seminal case in the Court of Appeal in which Simon successfully argued that there could be a fair trial of a corporate defendant for conspiracy to corrupt where its guilt depended on the guilt of an individual- its directing mind and will- in circumstances where the individual was neither indicted as a co-conspirator nor otherwise available to give evidence.

R v MA Birmingham Crown Court [2017]

[2017] Simon successfully secured the acquittal of MA, a commercial property developer, who faced charges alleging his involvement in dishonest and corrupt property purchases and onward sales.

R v A ltd [2016]

(2016) 4 WLR 176

Simon successfully argued on an interlocutory appeal that the judge had been wrong to exclude evidence in a bribery and corruption trial. The case raises important issues concerning corporate criminal liability via its Directors under English law.

R v Sale [2013]

[2013] EWCA CA Leading confiscation case in the Court of Appeal on the issues of proportionality (AIPI), piercing the corporate veil and the proceeds of crime in cases of commercial corruption and bribery.

Simon is one of the UK’s leading money laundering KCs.

He has appeared in a number of important cases in the Court of Appeal which have defined the law in this area.

Simon has also provided expert testimony in both domestic and foreign proceedings and has written books on the subject which have been published by Oxford University Press and Butterworths.

Between 2023 and 2025 Simon has assisted a number of banks and financial institutions with money laundering issues, has successfully obtained the discharge of a £3 million Account Freezing Order under 303Z4 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the return of £58 million frozen in the IOM.

He has dealt with cases in the Crown Court and the High Court concerning Chinese clients who have transferred funds into the UK via cash agents. Simon is currently instructed in a major corruption/money laundering case connected to Malawi, in a number of account forfeiture proceedings and in cases concerning sanctions and the proceeds of crime.

R v Jiang (Shunjian) [2022] EWCA Crim 1516

Simon appeared in the Court of Appeal in an important case concerning unregulated money transfers and criminal property.

HMRC v JP [2022]

Simon was instructed to defend in a money laundering case at Southwark Crown Court concerning £30m in cash claimed by HMRC to be criminal property as it represented the proceeds of alcohol diversion fraud.

PP v RR and NB [2020/21]

Simon was instructed for the defence in a corruption and a money laundering case involving two High Court Judges before the Brunei High Court and Court of Appeal.

R v SJ [2021]

Money laundering case at Southwark Crown Court involving large amounts of sterling cash exchanged in London in return for the equivalent Chinese Yuan/Renminbi transferred in China and then used to buy real property within the UK.

Re A Bank [2021]

Simon was instructed to advise and write an experts’ report for a private bank which received a payment of $500 million from the DRC.

R v B [2019/20]

Simon was instructed to advise in a £300 million money laundering investigation connected to the gold industry.

R v Pace and Rogers [2014]

[2014] EWCA Crim 186 CA Court of Appeal judgement concerning the requisite mens rea in a case of attempted money laundering when the commission of the full offence is impossible.

R v Akhtar [2011]

[2011] 1 Cr App R 37 CA Money laundering convictions of a mortgage broker quashed by the Court of Appeal because no money laundering offences had been committed as there was no predicate offending.

R v Kausar [2009]

[2009] EWCA 2242 CA Money laundering convictions quashed as the Crown Court had failed to deal with the issues of adequate consideration and possessing criminal property.

R v Meghrabi [2009]

(2009) Kingston Crown Court £50 million of criminal cash laundered in a bureau de change.

R v Anwoir [2008]

[2008] EWCA 1354 CA A seminal case in which the Court of Appeal adopted Simon’s definition of criminal property in money laundering offences when the original criminal conduct is unknown.

Simon has years of experience of advising clients who face issues arising under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. He is rated by the Chambers UK Guide to the Bar as one of the top KCs in this area of law in the UK. Simon frequently helps clients deal with search and seizure orders, account freezing/forfeiture orders under section 303Z of POCA 2002, restraint orders, confiscation proceedings, third party rights, enforcement of confiscation orders, civil recovery, unexplained wealth orders (UWOs) and cash forfeiture.

R v Niklova [2025]

Simon acted for the defence in the largest ever UK universal credit benefit fraud involving an alleged loss from criminal conduct of £50 million in which the proceeds of the crime were diverted to Bulgaria.

R v X [2025]

Simon secured the discharge of a Restraint Order and the return of £58 million to his client which had been frozen in the Isle of Man.

Hargreaves v Powys CC [2022] EWHC 3176

This was a Case Stated to the High Court which concerned the circumstances in which it was permissible for the Magistrates Court to order that a default term of imprisonment be activated upon non-payment of a confiscation order.

NCA v CAO (2021)

Civil recovery case in the High Court in which the NCA claimed that Chinese nationals owned properties which were obtained through unlawful conduct. One issue was whether the use of unregistered cash agents in London had the consequence that funds generated were unlawfully obtained within the meaning of section 304 POCA 2002.

R v Zuman and Arshid Khan (2021) EWCA Crim 399

Simon successfully argued before the Court of Appeal that an £8m confiscation order should be quashed on a number of grounds including that the proceedings had been unfair in the Court below and that the statutory assumptions had  been wrongly applied.

R v Hameed (Feezan) (2020)

EWCA Crim 1768Case in the Court of Appeal concerning the rules in confiscation proceedings regarding the admissibility of hearsay evidence.

NCA v R (2020) – Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court

Simon successfully obtained the discharge of an Account Freezing Order for £3 million under section 303Z4 of POCA 2002 (as amended).

NCA v Odewale and Yadav (2020) EWHC 1609 (Admin)

Civil recovery case before the High Court involving whether Rolex watches and large amounts in bank accounts were recoverable property within the meaning of section 304 of POCA 2002 as having been obtained “through unlawful conduct”.

R v O (2019) Hereford Crown Court

Confiscation case arising out of the conviction of D for passing off battery chickens eggs as free range and making a profit of £3m. The issues concerned the correct definition of benefit and the application of the statutory assumptions.

R v Guraj (Lodvik) (Supreme Court) [2017]

[2017] 1 WLR 22 A leading UK case in the Supreme Court regarding whether in confiscation proceedings jurisdiction was lost when there had been excessive delay in the Crown Court.

R v Ali (Salah) [2014]

[2014] EWCA Crim 1658 Significant case concerning planning enforcement notices and the statutory confiscation regime. The Court of Appeal quashed a confiscation for £1.438 million as rents received prior to enforcement notices were not the proceeds of crime.

R v Ahmad Fields and others (Supreme Court) [2014]

[2014] Supreme Court UKSC 2012/0082 and UKSC 2013/0271 Important linked Supreme Court cases regarding whether the proceeds of crime jointly obtained should be apportioned in a multi handed confiscation case.

R v Lambert and Walding [2012]

[2012] EWCA Crim 421 CA Leading case in the Court of Appeal on the issue of whether benefit should be divided between defendants in confiscation cases when each has the means to pay.

R v McIntosh [2011]

[2011] EWCA Crim 1501CA Leading case in the Court of Appeal on how the Crown Court should approach the question of hidden assets at a confiscation hearing.

R v Raykanda [2011]

[2011] EWCA Crim 1896 CA £3.8m confiscation order quashed by the Court of Appeal in a VAT (MTIC) fraud case.

RCPO v Iqbal [2010]

[2010] EWCA Crim 376 CA Leading case in the Court of Appeal on the issue of when postponement in confiscation proceedings deprives the Court of jurisdiction.

R v Shabbir [2010]

[2010] EWCA 2010 CA The Court of Appeal quashed a confiscation order as the statutory assumptions had been wrongly applied.

R v Nelson, Pathak and Paulet [2009]

[2009] EWCA Crim 1573 CA Leading case in the Court of Appeal, the Lord Chief Justice giving guidance as to when confiscation proceedings should be stayed as an abuse of the process.

Simon acts for those accused of fraud, conspiracy, cheating the Revenue, money laundering and corruption offences in both the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal. He is ranked in the Chambers UK Guide to the Bar as a leading KC in these areas. His cases are international and he frequently works abroad. Simon is also an expert in preparing and conducting criminal appeals against conviction, confiscation orders and sentence when he did not appear in the lower courts. He has appeared successfully in the Court of Appeal on numerous occasions. If you wish to appeal a criminal conviction or a confiscation order in the Court of Appeal Simon is the KC of choice.

R v Cooper, Park and Fletcher [2023] EWCA Crim 945

Simon appeared in this leading case in the Court of Appeal which considered in what circumstances was it permissible for the Crown Court to pass a consecutive sentence for a money laundering offence in addition to the sentence for the predicate offence.

NCA v  S [2022]

Simon is instructed to act in a major corruption investigation in Malawi and the UK.

HMRC v JP [2022]

Simon was instructed to defend in a money laundering case at Southwark Crown Court concerning £30m in cash claimed by HMRC to be criminal property as it represented the proceeds of alcohol diversion fraud.

PP v RR and NB [2019-21]

(2019) Brunei Supreme Court

Simon was instructed for the defence in a corruption case involving High Court Judges before the Brunei Supreme Court.

R v AIL and others [2018]

(2018) Southwark Crown Court
Simon acted as Lead Counsel for the Serious Fraud Office in successfully prosecuting a company in the Alstom Group for a criminal conspiracy to bribe and corrupt public officials in Tunisia connected to Alstom securing a valuable tram contract in the City of Tunis.

R v RJ [2017] EWCA Crim 1943

Simon successfully argued in the Court of Appeal that RJ’s conviction for importing 650 kilos of cannabis should be quashed on the grounds that inadmissible bad character evidence had wrongly been presented to the jury. Simon had not appeared at trial.

R v Bala (Yilkes) [2016]

[2016] EWCA Crim 560 A landmark case in the CA concerning whether parties to a polygamous marriage recognised by English law could enter into a criminal conspiracy.

R v Colston Hayter and others [2014]

[2014] Southwark Crown Court Successful prosecution of a cyber-gang responsible for stealing millions from leading banks.

R v Lord Rodley and others [2012]

(2012) Southwark Crown Court Successfully prosecuted a multi-million pound boiler room fraud involving the dishonest miss-selling of worthless shares to hundreds of investors.

R v Lord Rodley and others [2009]

(2009) Snaresbrook Crown Court Successful prosecution of a gang who attempted to steal £229 million from a leading bank in the City of London by taking over their computers.

R v Avery and others [2008]

(2008) Winchester Crown Court Simon Successfully argued that there was no case to answer against an animal rights activist who was allegedly involved in major conspiracy to blackmail in connection with the SHAC campaign.

R Bala (2014) Canterbury Crown Court

Successful prosecution of a number of defendants who were convicted of illegally employing staff in the security industry contrary to the Immigration rules and having secured false UK passports from a dishonest employee at the Home Office.

Simon has considerable experience of HMRC investigations, civil tax enquiries, tax planning schemes, cases before the First Tier Tax Tribunal (FTT), and the Upper Tax Tribunal (UTT) and criminal prosecutions for Cheating the Revenue in the Crown Court. Simon has defended in some of the most serious VAT and tax frauds prosecuted in the last decade involving tax losses of over £500 million. His expertise in this area straddles both the civil  and criminal law.

HMRC v Nellsar Limited [2025] UKUT 00164 (TCC)

Simon appeared for the taxpayer in this leading case which concerned how assets, including real property and goodwill, should be accounted for upon a business acquisition under FRS 7.9.

Octagon Green Solutions Limited v HMRC [2023] UKUT 268

Simon successfully appealed to the UTT who ruled that OGS Limited could appeal two HMRC assessments for VAT and Landfill Tax notwithstanding that they were 4 years out of time. The case gives important guidance on when appeals can be permitted out of time and whether new evidence can be admitted on an appeal.

Jabble v HMRC [2023] UKFTT 213

A case concerning the issuing of a Personal Liability Notice (PLN) against a taxpayer who it was alleged was a knowing party to the evasion of duty connected to the importation of alcohol. The appeal considered the applicability of the Kittel test in these circumstances.

HMRC v N [2022] FTT

Simon is instructed in a lead case in which the FTT are considering how to value the goodwill of a business for the purposes of SDLT and Corporation Tax deductions.

HMRC v O [2022]T

Simon is instructed for a waste management company who have been assessed for over £100 million in unpaid Landfill Tax and VAT.

HMRC v RJ [2022] FTT

Simon is instructed in a case in which HMRC have issued a Personal Liability Notice against a Director of a wholesale alcohol business on the grounds that he knew or ought to have known that his transactions were connected to a fraudulent tax loss pursuant to the Kittel test

HMRC v DP [2022]

Simon is instructed to act in a case before the Crown Court in which HMRC allege that a taxpayer has been involved in a tax cheat concerning unpaid VAT.

Synectiv Ltd v HMRC [2018]

[2018] FTT TC 2010 0699
Simon successfully acted for a company before the FTT concerning its claim for £1.4 m of VAT in respect of mobile phone exports which had been wrongly denied by HMRC.

Synectiv Limited v HMRC (Upper Tax Tribunal) [2017]

[2017] UKUT 0099 (TCC) An important case in which the Upper Tax Tribunal quashed the decision of the First Tier Tribunal (Tax) for inadequate reasoning in its judgement.

PC v HMRC-[2017] TC/2016/02491

Simon successfully acted for a senior barrister in the First Tier Tax Tribunal who HMRC had wrongly found guilty of deliberate tax evasion. The penalties imposed by HMRC for deliberate tax evasion were quashed.

R v E and others [2015]

(2015) Southwark Crown Court Simon successfully defended a City broker who faced charges related to a tax avoidance scheme. It concerned tax reliefs claimed in respect of an “active” film production partnership.

Synectiv Limited v HMRC [2013]

[2013] TC 2010/06699 First Tier Tax Tribunal. Whether trader knew or should have known that its transactions were connected to a fraudulent tax loss.

R v Ahmed [2013]

[2013] EWHC (Admin) Leading case in the High Court on the issues of civil recovery, cash forfeiture, tax fraud and proportionality.

Data Select Limited v Commissioners RCPO [2012]

[2012] UTT Upper Tax Tribunal case on time limits FTC/19/2011 considering when to permit appeals out of time.

HT Purser Ltd v HMRC [2011]

[2011] FTT (LON/1008/1273) Successfully obtained approximately £900,000 for a mobile phone trader before the Tax Tribunal.

R v Khan [2011]

(2011) Southwark Crown Court Defended in a £45m VAT fraud (Operation Euripus).

R v Jeyakumar [2007]

(2007) Northampton Crown Court MTIC VAT fraud £40 million operation Devout.

R v Mehmet

(2007) Northampton Crown Court MTIC VAT fraud £12 million.

R v Karagozlu, Yiannakis and others [2005]

(2005) Kingston Crown Court Criminal confiscation hearing VAT fraud mobile phone industry global benefit £86million.

R v Coate [2005]

(2005) Bristol Crown Court £1million VAT fraud involving the Agricultural Flat Rate Scheme.

Simon provides advice and assistance to those who need advice regarding mutual legal assistance and extradition.

Peter Neville v Secretary of State for Justice [2021] EWHC 957 (Admin)

A case involving a UK national sentenced to life imprisonment in Thailand for drugs offences and who was then transferred back to the UK under the 1991 Prisoner Transfer Treaty with Thailand. The issue was whether PN was  a transferred life prisoner under section 273 of the CJA 2003 and therefore had the right to have a tariff set by the High Court for his release or whether, in the light of Thai Royal Pardons, he was to be treated as determinate prisoner.

United States v Dempsey [2018]

(2018) 4 WLR 110

Important High Court extradition case concerning dual criminality and the relationship between the US offence of obstruction of justice and the English offence of perverting the course of justice.

SD v Netherlands [2012]

(2018) 4 WLR 110

[2012] EWHC 697 (Admin)
Successfully obtained the quashing of a European Arrest Warrant for a senior banker as it lacked particularity and failed the dual criminality test.